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While my favorite fan sport is Seahawks football, my personal sport is competitive swimming. So here I was, doing a half mile of freestyle as one segment of my workout, going at a good clip, making flip turns, and counting the lengths of the pool, 1, 2, 3, 4... I'm feeling pretty good as the swimmers in the other lanes are older and slower than I am, 5, 6, 7, 8... At the quarter point, I've loosened up a bit and turn up the juice, 9, 10, 11, 12. But not too much, 13, 14, 15, 16. I've got to do 32 lengths, 17, 18, 19, 20. And I want to finish strong, 21, 22, 23.
23?!!! That's my favorite number. The Lotus 23 is my favorite old sports car. And Marcus Trufant has long been one of my favorite Seahawks!
I gotta do Tru proud, so I really crank it up - way beyond what I can maintain for the next nine lengths. And then I do my flip turn. ...24.
Crap! 24 is Marshawn's number! Marshawn gives it his all until the echo of the whistle. I can't let him down!
So I crank up my kick and swim with determined power - my arms a bit wider than usual to mimic Lynch's wide-legged style. I'm swimming in Beast Mode! I flip again and push off the wall. ...25
25?!!! Holy hell. That's Richard Sherman's number. He's my very favorite Seahawk. We both grew up in Southern California, moved to Northern California, and ended up in the Pacific Northwest. I'm just shy of his height and weight. He's my Seahawk doppelganger. The minute the Pro Shop gets his jersey, it's mine!
So I push even harder, getting my arms and legs pencil narrow and pulling in long, fluid - and fast - strokes. I'm like #25 covering a go-route. With that speed, I get to the wall quickly, grab a big breath, summersault, and count ...26.
26?!!! That's Mike Rob's number. Pro Bowl fullback. Co-captain on special teams. Real Rob Report. There's no slowing now!
So I hammer my kick as hard as I can, like a fullback racing toward a collision with Ray Lewis. By the end of that length, I'm losing my speed. But hey, fullbacks aren't built to win the 100 yard dash.
I finally slow back to normal on the 27th length. I didn't have enough oxygen to remember or care if that was Winston Guy's number. I remembered Atari Bigby - and the team let him go.
I've got to admit, I didn't do Earl Thomas (29) or Kam Chancellor (31) justice as my mind was elsewhere. But #32, Jeron Johnson earned my respect with his excellent play in the preseason, so I finished my half mile at a full-on sprint - like a rookie who needs to earn his spot with excellent special teams play.
After that, the 400 IM and butterfly sprints that followed didn't intimidate me at all - after a bit of a blow and a few sips of water.
Maybe I'll do a 2,500 meter swim this weekend, trying to remember all the uniform numbers on the team. I can fill in some of the holes with guys like Hasselbeck, Alexander, Strong, Jones, and Largent. I'll swim to the right of the lane on length 3, scrambling like Russel Wilson. By the time I get to Alan Branch, I'll be whooped.
Anyway, it was fitting to finish with Jeron Johnson's #32 today. 32 is 23 backwards.
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